and the american people know that restoring the bush tax cuts is not a tax cut. it's a continuation of the status quo of the last 12 years. as was done two years ago. when you allow some of those tax cuts to lapse, taxes are higher than they were before. so the idea that obama could run as a tax cutter when he's been demanding tax increases his entire presidency, and we're about to start the conversation of $1 trillion of obama care taxes over the next decade, obama and the democrats' tax cutters will be laughed out of the park. >> with respect, he's just won the election on that basis, hasn't he, that he would tax the rich more, and give away candies to those on $250,000 or below. you know, the democrats have long opposed the bush era tax cuts. but now they have this as a new pledge, simply to win power. >> well, interestingly, what's happened is the president has moved 98% of the way towards the republican position. he opposed the bush tax cuts. he said they were a bad idea, both in 2001 and 2003. and now he's talking about wanting to maintain 98% of them or so